The sound of a table smashing haunts the entire room as soon as Rhys throws Irina against the glass center table sitting in the room

Irina screams her lung out in anger and pain, "You cannot be the man I fell in love and got married to. All these years, I have been so stupid, and you have fooled me so easily pretending to be my long-lost husband. Tell me, who the hell are you?!"

"Really? So sure eh? Looks like somebody's memories came back!" Rhys smirked from the corner of his lips and steps closer to Irina, who was clearly seen bleeding from the corner of her lips now.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH DAMN IT!" Irina demanded.

Rhys chuckled, "You're right. I'm not the man you fell in love with. I was never the man you can fall in love with."

Even though Rhys said it while laughing, his expressions when he said those words conveyed the opposite.

Irina backed away from him, "So then, who ARE you? Where is my h-husband?"

Rhys looked at her and laughed in a twisted way. Hearing her calling someone else as her husband sure hurt him but it looked like he was used to of this.

"Shawn? Oh yeah. I killed him."

Irina gasped for some air as her eyes went huge. She couldn't believe it was so easy for this man to kill and tell.

"Sh-Shawn Jenkins?" She couldn't believe how familiar this name sounded to her. Shawn Jenkins. Her torn distorted memories had this name embarked on them.

"See? No matter how hard I tried, it was only his name that rests in your heart. Just like before. No matter how the fxck harder I tried, it was always him, it's always Shawn!"

Rhys stepped closer to Irina as she kept backing away. Finally her back met up with the wall and Rhys took a seat right before her on the floor

"You were obsessed with me, and when you could not get me to love you back, you KILLED my husband?! Irina asked him unbelievably. Rhys scoffed and reached out his thumb to wipe off the blood from the corner of her lips and then said, "It's a little more complicated than that but in short, yes!"

Tears rolled down Irina's cheeks as she started to find it difficult to breath suddenly. The only thing that bothered her right now was she could barely even remember what the love of her life looked like, thanks to her memory loss a year ago.

"And now, even though I somehow managed to erase your memories a year ago, you remembered everything now." He said in annoyance.

"I- I don't. Remember. Everything." Irina said taking pauses in between, trying to close her eyes and force herself to remember something.

Anything.

Even the face of her daughter's father.

"What about Iris? What did you do to her? Is she our daughter or some sort of stupid ploy you put together to play against me?" Irina asked. She was afraid that even her daughter was a lie that Rhys told her.

"Iris?" Rhys looked up towards the corner of the room near the door opening where he could see the one-year-old came crawling and then slowly stood up. "Sure, she's your daughter. Yours and Shawn's."

He took Shawn's name with so much hatred that it hurts the ears. Irina saw her little baby in the room and covered her mouth, started to cry.

"I thought the accident would kill her too but it didn't. You were pregnant when the accident occurred and were on the way to the hospital delivering his baby. My car crashed into yours and Shawn died. You gave birth to your beautiful little replica who looked exactly like you, just her hair are like her dad's. When I learned you lost your memories, I initially thought I'd give her away and start over with you. But then, I looked at her and..." Rhys caressed the face of Iris going closer to her, "How could I giveaway something so beautiful that looks like you?" He said.

More tears flew down Irina's cheeks as she bit her lower lips scared for her daughter while this monster was touching her.

"So, I thought maybe we all could live together as a family, you know? But your stupid brain kept fxcking with you and in one year you never gave yourself to me!" Rhys continued. "I lied, made you believe that I was your husband, father of your child. I tried everything to prove that I was your Shawn but fxck, your nightmares kept coming in the way."

Rhys scoffed again, this one was an extremely sad one and looked at Irina, "And one year later, here we are. Why didn't you love me Irina? I did everything for you, even waited for so long... Why can't you ever see me? Why can't you ever see my love for you?"

"You're a sick bàstard! I can't believe anyone can be as malicious as you are. I hope you rot in hell!" Irina started to curse at Rhys with all her heart. The curses were all coming straight from Irina's heart.

Meanwhile, Rhys who was still standing near little kid who was about a year and half old, scoffed and looked at Iris who was confused and scared hiding halfway behind the curtain.

"Before I go to hell, don't you think baby you'll go to hell and pay for everything you did to me and my innocent love for you?"

Irina couldn't believe this man. He was starting to sound absolutely nonsensical to her. "What are you even talking about?!" Irina asked him.

"Is it MY FAULT THAT YOU MET HIM FIRST?!" Rhys practically screamed at Irina standing close to Iris and that made Iris petrified, and she started crying.

"Iris..." Irina tried to get up and approach her crying baby, but before she could do that, Rhys picked Iris up in his arms and kicked Irina back on ground with much of force on her stomach.

Droplets of blood came out of her mouth, the kick was so hard. Watching all this little Iris started to cry even more loudly.

"Iris..." Irina gasped for her little baby, "Rhys- Hand her to me, she is crying." Irina was famished from pain, opening her arms in air, towards her little girl.

"It's all about Shawn, Irina. You don't ever care about me, DO YOU?!" Rhys yelled and kicked on Irina's stomach once again with the exact same force. More blood spit out her mouth, but Irina only cared about her crying baby right now. She was continuously mumbling with her arms up in air.

"Iris... Baby... Mommy is here. Shh... Come to me."

Watching this made Rhys extremely furious. The bloodlust was rushing back in his head. He wanted this heartless woman before her to die in his hands. Today. Right. Now.

He practically threw Iris seven inches away from where Irina was lying on ground all in pain and went towards his table to grab a knife.

Meanwhile, Irina and Iris were both trying to share a moment called motherhood. But before Irina could overcome the pain and hold her little baby in her arms, Rhys stormed towards her and penetrated the knife right into her stomach.

Before Irina could handle that pain, another sharp attacked was welcomed by her stomach. With wide eyes open she looked at Rhys. She never thought this man would actually kill her. She had for real started to fall for this man since the very last week.

"You know what's the good news is Irina, baby?" Rhys asked her, "Now, I can finally get over you."

Saying this, Rhys left the house and the crime scene, where there was a one-year-old crying looking at her dying mother and her mother was trying hard to creep closer to her child in her last moments alive.

"Shh... Shh... Baby don't cry. Let me sing you a song." The dying mother told her child, who didn't know any human words yet, but she still understood everything her mother just said, as she was speaking the language of love.

"Rock a bye baby... Rock a bye baby... On the tree top. When the wind blows... the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks... the cradle will fall."

Irina's voice had the magic that made Iris stop crying and even though Irina was bleeding severely, this little baby girl came near her mother's warmth and lied down on her body. Irina slowly started to loose her breath and soon Iris heard the last lines of that rhyme her mother ever sung to her, "And down will come baby... cradle and all."

SEVEN YEARS LATER

LITTLE IRIS'S POV

"Iris?"

I was playing with my paper boat that aunt Jennifer made me in my garden when I heard my daddy's voice and immediately became afraid. Daddy makes me scared. Even though he doesn't talk to me much and doesn't say anything to me but still I am very afraid of him. I don't know why?

"Iris, where are you?" Daddy called out to me again.

"Yes daddy." I replied once daddy came to the garden looking for me. I was hiding behind aunt Jennifer's gown because I'm afraid of facing daddy alone, by myself.

"I have to take you somewhere with me so, get ready." Daddy said and looked at Aunt Jenny in his angry gaze.

"Don't worry Mr Rodriguez, I'll get her ready on time." Aunt Jenny replied.

"I'm taking her to a boss's party so doll her up accordingly." Daddy said and looked at his pond in the garden where he had reared his imported fishes. I was playing with my boats there only.

"What did I tell you about that pond Iris?" He asked.

"Never to go there."

"And why did I tell you that?"

"Because there are fishes and I might hurt them." I replied him with my head bowed.

"Good girl." Daddy said and then suddenly bent his head down at my level and grabbed onto my hand in which I was holding my paper boat. It was all crumpled in my fist now. "The next time I see you playing with your stupid boats there, I will cut off your hands."

I gulped looking at daddy's angry face shivering from fear, and he immediately changed his expressions into giving me a creepy smile, "Get dressed. Okay, honey?"

And he walked away.

As soon as he walked away I hugged Aunt Jenny tightly and started crying loudly.

"Hey, Iris. No. No. Baby nothing happened. I'm here with you baby, don't cry." Aunt Jenny tried to calm me, taking me inside my room, so she could get me dressed for this party daddy was taking me to.

......

"Aunt Jenny, where is daddy taking me to? He has never taken me outside this house." I asked Aunt Jenifer while she was combing my hair.

"He is taking you to a very fancy party." Aunt Jenny replied in her cuckoo voice making wear my favorite ball gown that daddy brought me.

"What is a party? Are there other people there?"

Aunt Jenny looked at me, pausing for a moment and then laughed, "Yes sugar. There are a lot of people there. There might even be other kids of your age whom you can play along with."

"Really? Would they talk to me? Do they play with paper boats like me too? Would they come to my house and play with me?"

Aunt Jenny laughed at my excitement and brushing my hairs perfectly, she said, "You will get to know that once you go there and talk to those kids, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Oh, look, my little Iris looks so cute tonight. Can I click a picture of my little sugar?" Aunt Jenny asked me taking out her cellphone and I laughed nodding my head in a yes.

........

I was ready to go out of this house with my daddy for the first time in my life. I am excited but I am scared too because I have never seen the world outside of these walls. I have never seen or met anyone else except Daddy and Aunt Jenny. This would be a very new and different experience for me tonight.

JENNIFER'S POV

(LITTLE IRIS'S NANNY)

Rodriguez Mansion: It was a beautiful medium sized mansion situated at the outskirts of the city of Los Angeles, Hollywood. This entire locality comes under the Mafia King of our times, Sir William Daniel Martinez, who is still ruling the entire continent and has his reign of terror all across the globe.

All the houses situated in this locality are owned by people working under Sir William Martinez. My boss and Iris's dad, Mr Rhys Rodriguez, is also one of many such people working for Sir Martinez.

I was appointed here, at the Rodriguez mansion seven years ago after Iris's mother died. Iris was only a one and a half year old back then. Since then, Iris has always found comfort in me. She called me aunt Jenny and I have too looked after her like my own child. Everything about this cute little girl was adorable except for the fact that she was extremely scared of her father, Mr Rodriguez.

I have seen most of the fathers showering lots of love on their daughters, even the one's having dangerous connection to the underworld. But Mr Rodriguez preferred to keep Iris in fear. I don't understand where this fear even comes from because Mr Rodriguez doesn't talk to Iris much. At times, even days or weeks would pass, and he wouldn't come to check on his daughter.

What's even more weird is that he is not educating his little child. He never takes her out, he doesn't allow her to have friends. Iris is a kind of girl nobody knew even existed because she has never stepped out of this house or met people other than me, her father and the five other servants in this house. Even when Mr Rodriguez's friends would come over, Iris wasn't allowed to step outside and meet them. Sometimes it even feels like Iris isn't even Mr Rodriguez's daughter. But then, that can't be true or else why would he keep her in his house?

Anyway, tonight, it was the first time Iris was stepping outside this house with her daddy. I was worried because she has never met strangers before. Also, she would be alone with the man she is so scared of for the entire night. But since Mr Rodriguez is taking her out to this party I'm sure there would be other kids at the party too and so, maybe my Iris would finally get new friends. I hope she makes new friends. I feel so bad for the poor kid. No education, no friends. She doesn't even know what childhood feels like.

May God bless my child.

"Miss Jennifer, Master Rodriguez is asking for Iris Baby to accompany him." The house butler, Romario came in and bowed his head down to Iris.

"Uncle Romario, do I look nice?" Iris chirped in her cuckoo voice giving him a spin in her favorite frock before Romario and he couldn't help but smile, "Of course miss Iris. You look beautiful tonight."

He then bowed to Iris and extended his hand out to her, "Now, if you please come with me. Sir Rodriguez is waiting for you inside his car."

Iris's face turned pale at the mere thought of being alone with her dad. She grabbed my gown in her tiny fist and looked up at me scared, "Aunt Jenny? Won't you come with me too?"

Romario and I shared a look. All the servants in the house knew Iris baby was very scared of Mr Rodriguez, to the point that every time he would utter a mere sentence to her, and she would start crying in tears

"Don't worry miss Iris, I'll be there at your service until you reach the party. Now please come with me." Romario assured Iris.

She looked up at me and I gave her a nod. She needs to go out and embrace the world. Not because she has to, but because this maybe the last opportunity that she would ever get to go outside and know strange people other than the one's working in her house.

LITTLE IRIS'S POV

A cold chill ran down my spine as soon as Uncle Romario opened the back door of the car and I saw daddy seated inside with both his legs crossed smoking a cigar. I looked at him scared with my eyes big, but refused to move. Daddy turned his head towards me and spared me his angered glance from head to toe.

"Perfect." He breathed out, complimenting me and I tried to smile. But my smile was that of a scared one as well, "Now what are you staring at me for? Get inside!" Daddy shouted at me and my breath hitched. I wanted to go back into the arms of Aunt Jenny and cry.

"Miss Iris, please sit down." Uncle Romario tried to comfort me by holding me up in his arms and then placing me inside the car, making me sit right beside daddy. He then closed the door and circled back to sit himself in the driving seat.

"Miss Iris, there is a box of chocolates for you at the back of the car." Uncle Romario told me and I jumped in excitement, "Wow, chocolates!?"

Uncle Romario smiled at my reaction starting the engine and I stood up on the seat and started to look at the back for the chocolates. But then, my eyes met with daddy's, and he was glaring at me. My face immediately turned pale in horror and I took back my seat.

"I don't want to eat chocolates." I pouted with a fallen face after which, I heard my daddy's domineering voice once again, "Don't make me regret my decision of taking you out Iris!"

Tears pooled into my eyes immediately after hearing him say that. Why am I so weak near daddy? I don't know. But anything he says to me, hurts me.

"Iris, how do you react when I say something to you?" Daddy asked.

"Y-Yes daddy" I immediately replied.

"Master Rodriguez, she is just a little girl. And she is so cute. Why do you keep scolding her?" Uncle Romario said glancing at my tearful face from his rearview mirror. Daddy glared at Uncle Romario and he immediately apologized, "I'm sorry sir."

The fifteen minutes ride to the party venue seemed like a century old to me. Once the car stopped at the venue, I couldn't help but look outside at the beautiful palace we were at.

"Whoa! Is it Christmas in this house?" I asked, to which daddy rolled his eyes and Uncle Romario informed me, "Miss Iris, parties are like this only. They decorate the house beautifully, so the guests would enjoy the decorations."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know that." I said looking at daddy with my head bowed at him.

"Behave like a good girl that you are at the party. Am I clear?" Said daddy.

"Yes daddy." I replied promptly and he smiled at me for the very first time. My heart skipped a beat looking at my daddy smiling at me for the first time in the last seven years I have known him.

"Come, hold my hand so you don't get lost." Daddy said and I gladly jumped down the car holding onto his thick masculine fingers.

"Yes daddy."

As I was walking away with daddy heading inside this beautiful house, Uncle Romario drove away the car perhaps taking it to the parking lot.

LITTLE IRIS'S POV

At The Party

Like Aunt Jenny told me, at the party there were many people I didn't know. Seeing so many strangers around myself, I got a little scared and clenched onto the fingers of my daddy a lot tighter than before making daddy look down at me because I did that.

"Daddy who are these people?" I asked him as soon as he looked down at me.

"These are my friends."

I looked around the entire room and my eyes fell onto a group of other kids like me gathered around the corner of that huge hall. "And are those supposed to be my friends?"

Daddy looked at me a little taken aback and then sighed nodding away, "Fine. You can go meet them once I'm done with meeting my boss."

I looked up at daddy. He was so scary. He was the boss of Aunt Jenny and Uncle Romario. Daddy was so scary and powerful. He had a boss as well?

"You have a boss too?"

"Everyone has a boss, Iris."

Daddy was shockingly patiently replying to every question I asked him tonight without yelling at me. Thank god he was nice to me tonight or who would I cry to now. There was no Aunt Jenny or Uncle Romario here.

"Your boss has a boss too?" I asked thinking, if my daddy was so scary then how scary his boss must be? Or his boss's boss? The ultimate boss should be a man eater.

"My boss doesn't have a boss to himself. He's god." Daddy said taking his name respectfully touching his ears.

"Daddy has your boss-" I was about to ask him another question daddy yanked my hand which was holding his fingers and glared at me returning to his usual self like he was at home with me. "No more questions Iris. Be a good girl!"

'Does good girls have no questions to ask?' I questioned myself internally but only bowed down to my father nodding away, "Yes daddy."

Sooner, we were on the stage arena where a lot of people were talking respectfully to this one man who looked scarier than I have ever seen any man in television or in reality. His beard had turned all gray so were half of his hair. Although he was dressed neatly but the way he was standing with a burning cigar trapped between his fingers, talking in his stern voice, it was enough to make a person's blood run cold.

"Master Martinez. It's an honor to be at your party." Daddy bowed to the man meanwhile I didn't know what to do, so I was staring continuously at the bearded man.

"Is that your daughter Rhys?" He took daddy's first name, and I was shocked since I've heard nobody talking to my daddy like that, with that much audacity.

"Iris?" Daddy yanked me and I immediately bowed myself before the man called Martinez. "It's an honor to meet you Uncle Martinez."

Everybody looked at me shocked while I had the ends of my skirt tightly held into my fist and my legs crossed in a bowing position. I didn't know what was wrong with everybody.

"Iris, Not everybody is your uncle!" Daddy said, and I looked up at daddy confused, even scared because he was clearly not happy with my behavior right now.

"I-I'm sorry daddy." I got into crying with tears watching my daddy looking at me filled with so much rage.

"Oh, no no. Rhys, come on! Why are you making the poor little girl cry?" Daddy's boss, Mr Martinez said and picked me up in his arms. Everybody there looked at Uncle Martinez shocked. Perhaps they weren't expecting him to be so great with kids?

"I'm sorry Mr. Martinez." I whispered slowly.

"It's okay little princess, this party is for you only." Mr Martinez said putting me down once I stopped with all my tears.

"F-for me?" My eyes grew big knowing that a strange person who has never met me in person would throw me a party like this.

"Yes. I want to introduce you to my kids." Mr Martinez said and gestured one of his Butlers by clicking his fingers. The butler bowed to him and left in the direction where I saw some kids of my age playing. After a while three boys retuned with him. Two of them were my age and the third one looked a lot older to me.

"Meet my kids." He said pointing at the elder one dressed in formals, "That's my elder son, Zachary William Martinez." And then he pointed at one of the two kids present there who was dressed in formals as well, looking really attractive, "And that's my younger son, Zephyr William Martinez."

"Sup?" The boy he introduced as Zephyr William Martinez, tried greeting me, shooting his brows at me casually to which Mr Martinez glared at him exactly the way daddy glared at me every time I didn't 'behave'. He immediately looked at his daddy's glare and got terrified just like I get when I see daddy's glare. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that. Zephyr immediately looked at me distastefully and growled, "What so funny?!"

"You're funny!" I was still laughing.

He got more angry and started to come at me in attack mode, "You!!!" He could have hit me but Mr Martinez stopped him with his thundering voice.

"ZEPHYR?!!" His voice was so stormy that even I got chills down my spine even though I wasn't the one he was screaming on.

"Iris, behave yourself!" Daddy yanked me from my hand and I immediately realised daddy would hit me when I get back home because I wasn't behaving like a good girl. That realisation was enough to shut me up for the rest of the night.

"Who is this little boy your highness?" Daddy asked Mr Martinez about the last kid he never introduced us to.

"That would be Dr Walter's son, Theodore Walter." Theodore bowed down in gratitude and greeted everyone just like how we were taught to. "It is an honor to be invited here your highness and Mr Rodriguez." He said greeting both my daddy and Zephyr's father.

I looked at Zephyr, he was still glaring at me angrily. While he was doing that, his nostrils were all pumped up. He looked really cute like that. My heart suddenly started to beat loud drums. I don't know what was happening?

"Anyway, Theodore? Why don't you take Iris and play with her?"

"Yes, your highness." Theodore bowed to him and came towards me but Zephyr made an annoyed face, "Humph! I don't want to play with her. She's rude and weird." Zephyr said, but before Mr Martinez could scream at him once more Theo stepped on his toe making him scream, "Theo, what the hell?!"

"Let's go, Iris? Zeph just come with us okay? We'll talk about this later." He said saving Zephyr from getting scolded by Mr Martinez once again.

While we were leaving, the third kid, Zachary was also about to accompany us but Mr Martinez stopped him, "Not you Zachary. I need to talk to you."

"Yes father." He bowed and decided to stay there with the elders while we left to the place where all the kids were standing in this party for all.

LITTLE ZACHARY'S POV

(Zephyr's Elder Brother)

"Zachary, I would like you to meet this man here. He's Rhys Rodriguez. That little girl was his daughter." Father said introducing me to this man who standing beside him. "Oh. Pleasure to meet you Mr Rodriguez." I forwarded my hand out to him, and he shook it gladly with his head bowed my way. Even though he was a lot older than I was, he was still showing me respect because he was the man of my father's army which I was going to overtake after I attain a certain age. I was the heir to the mafia throne.

"How did you think of my little Iris, young master?" Mr Rodriguez asked at which I was just taken aback. How did I think of Iris? What kind of question was that? "Uhm, she seems sweet, I guess." I mean I did think she was cute I did feel my heart flutter a little when she laughed so heartily just now, but what else was I supposed to say? Father laughed watching my confused face after that, telling me, "This party tonight is for you and his daughter Iris. I was thinking about getting you two betrothed. Rhys wants the same for his daughter."

"But isn't she too young to be burdened with something like that?" I asked father that, but my father's expressions told me that he wasn't happy with my counter reply. "I- ERM-sorry father. You can do as you wish." I said immediately bowing to him. It doesn't matter who he gets me to marry with, he had that right over my life. Also, Iris did look cute. She was definitely going to grow up into a perfect woman someday.

"I knew you wouldn't overlook my orders. So, if everything is okay with you, shall we exchange the rings? What say, Rhys?"

"That is why I brought my daughter here at the party boss." Mr Rodriguez laughed while I couldn't help myself but look in the direction of the corner of the hall where all the other kids were. Iris looked seven years old or something. She was eight years younger to me. She seemed so carefree right now. Would she even remember this night of her betrothal after she grows up? Hell, she's so innocent. Does she even know what a betrothal means?

Maybe not.

That's the problem with our mafian culture. We cannot decide who we want to grow up and get married to on our own. It is all decided up by our families. Right from the day we were born.

LITTLE IRIS'S POV

"Come on, Zeph. Why have you made up your mood swollen like that? It's okay, she's also like us." Theo said to Zephyr once we were all gathered at the playing area in this party for grownups.

"Really? You think she's like us? Wait!" Zephyr said to Theo and walked up to me and asked me in an angry tone. "Tell me what's 2+5?"

"What?"

"2+5? What?? You don't even know that? Aww! That's such a shame for a grownup girl like you." He said mocking me and then started to laugh. I had no idea what he was talking about. I have heard two, and I think I know what's five but plus? I don't understand at all.

"Perhaps she is in KG and doesn't know that." Theo said defending me.

"Okay, so tell me what's 2+2? Or even tell me what comes after the alphabet G?" Zephyr asked me again.

I looked at him confused but didn't reply anything. He started to laugh at me, "See, she's so dumb. She doesn't even know that. I come last in my class, but I still know all the alphabets and one digit addition-subtraction."

I didn't feel good when he started to laugh at me like that. Tears formed into my eyes and I yelled at him with all my might, "You're cute, but you're mean!"

Just when I yelled that at him, he became quiet and looked at me silently. I started crying with my both fists pushed against my eyes. Theo immediately came near to me and started to console me. Seeing this, Zephyr didn't feel good. He demanded me in his rude voice. He was just like his father, just short heightened having a kid's voice. "You think I'm cute?!"

"No. I think you're rude!" I immediately replied him sobbing away with Theo consoling me, "Iris, please don't cry. He's a little mean to strangers but trust me, once you become his friend, he is the best friend you can ever have. "I just wanted to- t-to be fri-friends with him. I don't have any friends." I said while sobbing.

"You could have friends at your school." Zephyr said shrugging off his shoulder, unbothered.

"I don't go to school. I'm not allowed to step out of my daddy's house."

"Okay, you're a bigger liar than I am."

"I am not lying!" I shouted and more tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Zeph come on. You shouldn't be so mean to her. Just because your life is perfect doesn't mean everybody else's is too." As soon as Theo said that to Zephyr, he shouted at him in anger, "My life isn't perfect, and you know it Theo!!"

Zephyr was so loud that everybody at the party standing around turned their faces to look at him.

"Zephyr, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I-" But Zephyr didn't listen to Theo, and he just ran back inside the house without saying anything to anyone.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger him. I just wanted to be his friend. I don't know how to make friends. I have never been around other kids before." I said after Zephyr left. Theo looked at me shocked, "Never?"

"Never ever. Daddy doesn't allow me to go out. This is the first time I have stepped out of daddy's home." I said.

"Wow. That must be weird for you. I'm sorry Iris. But I promise you he will come around." Theo said consoling me, "Zephyr has his own issues. He doesn't get along with people soon. He has been through a lot."

"Like what?" I asked, to which Theo nodded, "I can't tell you that now. Maybe later? Now that we are friends, I'll get to see you a lot, right?"

"Will you come to my house to play with me?" I asked him excited.

"Of course. I will also ask Mr Martinez to get you enrolled in our school. You'll go to school with us, it will be so much fun, isn't it?" He said.

"Yes." I said and hugged him. As soon as I did he became stiff all of a sudden. He stopped moving at all and became a statue. He even stopped talking. "What happened? Are you alright Theo?" I asked him worried and caught him blushing, "No. Yes, I'm fine."

"Iris?" I heard my daddy's voice and I got so scared that I almost felt like my heart jumped inside my chest and came down my throat.

"Yes daddy?" I asked, turning to face daddy now.

"Come, let's go. We have a ritual to perform." He said and scooped me up in his arms. This was the first time daddy ever picked me up in his arms. It felt so warm and nice to be here. Once we reached the stage Mr Martinez called for everybody's attention, "Listen up, everybody. As you all know this party was about my elder son Zachary being crowned as the heir to my throne."

The spotlight fell on that elder boy, Zachary. Everybody looked at him and so did I. He looked so confident. "I would also like to announce the betrothed partner of my son, Mr Rhys Rodriguez's daughter, Iris Rodriguez everyone."

Daddy put me down to stand beside Zachary. The spotlight fell on both of us while everybody clapped. I could not understand a single thing that was happening.

"Rings please?" Mr Martinez clapped his hands and two servants walked inside holding royal plates in their hands.

"Pick up that ring and place it in his finger, Iris. The second finger from your right." Daddy commanded me. I didn't argue much with daddy and did what he asked me to do. Next, Daddy forwarded my left hand towards Zachary, and he placed a beautiful diamond studded ring in the same finger of my hand. Everybody present there clapped their hands meanwhile I couldn't understand anything at all. All the photographers gathered around us in no time taking our pictures.

This ring was very precious so daddy told me that even though the ring was mine, I won't keep it until I grow up enough to keep this secure. Whatever all that happened this night with me there in those thirty minutes, was weird.

RHYS'S POV

(Iris's Daddy)

"Now that Iris is the daughter in law of Martinez family, I want you to quit down your ego and send her to school. I cannot have my future daughter in law illiterate." Mr. Martinez, my boss said.

"I was planning to home school her, mi lord." I said in my defence bowing down to Martinez.

Honestly, I don't give shit about Iris. She isn't my daughter. She is the daughter of the woman I once loved and gave my whole heart to. Having Iris with me is my compulsion. Besides, she looks a lot like Irina and fuck, this is the reason why neither can I keep her with me nor give her away to some orphanage countryside. She reminds me of of Irina. She looks just like her mother and that brings hell for me everytime I look at her.

"Home schooling won't do Rhys. If you want your daughter to become the next queen of our empire, you have to give her the best education we can afford. She is my responsibility now. I'll finance her education." He said further.

I didn't say anything after that. I hated the idea of letting Iris out of the captivation of my house even for a second. Maybe it was too sick of me but the thought of her going out made me think that she too would run away from me, just like her mother did. I know she doesn't love me, just as how her mother never did. I run my eyes across the room looking for Iris in that room and I found her in the corner of that very room playing with the boy Martinez introduced as Theodore Walter, "If there is nothing else, Iris and I would take your leave mi lord." I said bowing down.

This party is so over. Moreover, I hated to see how happy Iris was being with other boys of her age. It hurts my heart just how it hurt when I saw her mother with someone else. I definitely don't want to be a sick pedophile here, but I just can't help this feeling. It is making me angry seeing her happy with other kids. Jealous, is the correct word.

"Si. You don't even look okay." Martinez said studying my facial expressions when I looked at Iris like that, "I'll send someone to pick Iris up from her home tomorrow. She'll get enrolled in the same school as Theodore and Zephyr.

"Si. Goodnight mi lord." I said bowing down once again and started walking to where Iris was playing with Theodore. She looked really happy and cheerful. She was just a kid and every kid is happy while playing with another kids, I should not be disturbed by this. She is just seven years old. But fuck I can't get my mind off it. I guess I'll need a good fuck tonight when I get back home.

"Iris? Let's go." I called out to Iris once I reached where she was.

"Y-Yes daddy." Iris immediately replied and left everything immediately to come hold my finger in her tiny fist. She's scared of me and I like that.

"Iris?" Theodore shouted out to her after she took some steps with me. Iris stopped at his voice and so did I. She turned around and I did too. We both saw that little kid waiving a goodbye to her very happily. "Bye bye! Come again soon, and we'll continue with this game."

Iris too laughed happily and replied him a positive. Meanwhile, I couldn't bare with that scene. I clenched my fist in anger and saw a woman walking past me dressed like a hooker.

"Come with me." I said grabbing that hooker's hand, and she named her price. I don't mind the fucking price because my brain is starting to play sick with me when I think of Iris now.

Once uncle Romario arrived with our car and parked it before us, daddy picked me up in his arms and threw me in the passenger seat. He fastened me with the seat belt and told uncle Romario that he was going to drive.

"I'll drive."

"Si." Uncle Romario bowed to daddy and stepped away. Afraid of being alone with my angry daddy, I immediately cried for uncle Romario to join us in our car, "Uncle Romario, why aren't you coming with us? I want to go home with you."

But as soon as I said that daddy brought his angry face to my level and glared at me furiously, "You live in my house, you have to follow my rules. You're mine! Do you get that, Iris?!"

I was stunned with the way daddy had just shouted at me, but I still nodded my head slightly.

An ugly looking woman had also accompanied daddy to our car. Daddy turned to her and told her to take a seat in the back.

"Who is she, daddy?" I asked him immediately. I wasn't comfortable with the lady who had too much makeup on her face, hands and legs.

"Mind your own business Iris!"

I looked up at uncle Romario from behind my window and saw him standing there with his head bowed down.

He was not allowed to speak in between or even raise his head and look straight at daddy. No one was, except for the people I met at this party.

Soon, daddy got in the driving seat and started the engine. He started racing the car at a very dangerous speed, and I was scared. I grabbed onto daddy's shirt in my fists and clenched my eyes shut. I wanted to ask him to slow down but couldn't because I was scared of doing so. Even the lady seated behind didn't say anything to daddy.

Soon, we were at our doorsteps. Daddy got out of the car and opened the back door to get that lady out of the car by grabbing her from her arm. He forgot to unbuckle my seatbelt and get me out of the car. I was left to figure out the mechanism by myself in the car alone.

"Daddy? Daddy? Unlock me daddy?" I called out from behind but either he didn't hear me or he just ignored my plea.

"Aunty Jenny. Uncle Romario." I started crying and banging my fist at the glass window but it was night time and car was soundproof.

After half an hour, I started to fidget with my seatbelt trying to find a way to unlock it and soon, I successfully figured it out.

I opened the car and got out of it, alone walking inside from the front door. As I walked near our living room I heard the voices of that same ugly lady. She was screaming in what sounded like pain.

I was afraid if daddy was hitting that woman. With slow steps I approached the recliner in our living room and what I saw there left me numb.

I saw daddy and that lady were both naked and they were doing something weird to each other. I could see both their lips connected and their sweaty bodies entwined with each other's. He was pushing himself towards her getting away and then pushing himself harder over and over again.

I immediately felt nauseous and ran into my room closing the door and locking it shut.

I was curious for knowing what they were doing because it looked like daddy was hurting that lady but that lady was enjoying and crying in happiness.

I can't ask daddy for he would punish me, so then, who else should I ask? Aunt Jenny?

THE NEXT MORNING

LITTLE IRIS'S POV

I woke up with Aunt Jenny's sweet voice falling into my ears, "Iris? My little munchkin? Come on, get up. Your daddy has been asking for you since morning."

Daddy's name and I was all awake with fear and anxiety so early in the morning.

"Wh-Why? Why has daddy been looking for me? Is daddy angry with Iris because Iris was bad?"

"No. Sweetheart." Aunty Jenny gave me that warm smile and took me inside her embrace "Your daddy has got a surprise for you. He's going to take you to a school today."

"A school? Is it some place for punishing the bad kids?"

"What?" Aunt Jennifer heard me and started laughing, "No. Sugar, it's a place where kids your age go to study. Although after a while with all the studying and homework you have to do, it will seem like a place to punish children but still-" She laughed some more making me think of she just cracked a joke, "Honey, it's a place where you're gonna meet and get to be with children of your own age and learn something new and fun everyday."

"Other kids? Will there be Zephyr there?" I asked aunty Jenny excitedly. I remember last night and I remember meeting Zephyr. He was so beautiful, I wanted to meet him again.

"Zephyr? Sweetheart, I don't know who you're talking about."

"I met him at the party daddy took me to yesterday. Aunty Jenny, he was so pretty. I haven't seen anyone as beautiful as he was."

"Really? That's nice. Tell me more about what else did you do at the party and who else did you meet?" Aunty Jenny now took me by my hands and stood me up and she started to get me dressed into a green checked shirt and a green skirt with a belt and a tie and a green blazer on the top of the attire.

"I met Zephyr and his big brother and I also met another kid who was Zephyr's best friend."

"Really? What was his name?"

"Umm..." I started thinking. I couldn't remember it. Neither Zephyr's brother's name nor his best friend's name, no matter how hard I tried. I just couldn't.

"I can't remember Aunty Jenny but I do know that Zephyr's brother put a beautiful ring in my finger and Zephyr's friend was very nice to me." I said giving up all the thinking.

"Okay. And was this Zephyr kid nice to you?" She asked.

"Umm... I don't know. He barely talked to me. I made him angry a couple of times at the party. Aunty Jenny, he doesn't like me, does he?" I asked aunty Jenny a little bit of disheartened and she took me in her lap, started to caress my hair with love.

"You know, when you meet someone for the first time, it is not necessary that you like that person immediately. And my munchkin is so beautiful and so sweet. Everybody loves you and so would Zephyr. Just give him some time. Okay?"

"Okay." I chirped happily after listening to Aunty Jenny. I really was happy and ready as well. "Okay now, go to the washroom brush your teeth and then meet me downstairs at the table okay?"

"Okay." I nodded along and started to go to the washroom but then I remembered something.

"Aunty Jenny?"

"Yes, princess?"

"I saw daddy with an ugly aunty he brought home last night. He was doing something to her and she was screaming in pain and still kept telling daddy to do it more and harder."

I asked and upon listening to my question I could say that Aunty Jenny's face lost it's colour.

JENNIFER'S POV

"What?" I couldn't help but ask her. I couldn't believe Mr Rodriguez would let a child as young as Iris was, witness something so huge at such raw age, "Iris, baby, I don't think you should worry about the things your daddy do to other people. He is not a very good person."

I shouldn't be filling little girl's ears speaking ill about her father but I had no idea how else to respond.

"He is the worst. I know. He likes to hurt people. But what scares me is that he was hurting her one moment and then sucking her lips in the next one. Isn't that something you do to people you love?"

I really have no idea how to respond to her juvenile mind filled with questions that she couldn't understand the answers to right now. She was too little for these things.

"Iris, Baby..." I took her in my lap and stroking her hair gently I made her understand. "When you suck someone's lips, it's called kissing them on the lips, like how I kiss your cheeks? You do this to someone you love, more than friends. Someone you want to spend all your time and all of your life with."

"So then, can I kiss you on the lips Aunty Jenny. I want to be with you forever like this." She said and hugged me tightly. She is such an angel. One could never believe that she was the daughter of such an evil person.

"Okay." I said pecking on her lips gently and then told her, "You are supposed to kiss someone special. Like a boy who means more than friends or even best friends to you. Okay?"

Iris looked at me intently. I didn't know what was going on inside her little head right now but she didn't ask me any further questions.

Soon we heard her father calling out to her.

"Iris? Aren't you ready yet? Was I not clear about leaving on time Jennifer?"

Iris looked up at her daddy's face and then gripped onto my hands while she sat there in my lap like before in fear.

"Let's go!" Mr Rodriguez came at us and grabbed onto Iris's hand snatching her away from my lap's comfort, "I have to take you to Boss Martinez's house. I cannot afford to be late and loose face because you, little menace" I heard him screaming at Iris while he kept dragging her alongwith himself outside of the house.

Iris didn't get the time to have her breakfast and I don't think Mr. Rodriguez would even care about that.

IRIS'S POV

It was dead silence throughout the way to the house of daddy's boss. Neither did I utter a word, nor did daddy spoke. Once we were at the entry gate of the royal palace like place I visited the last night with daddy, I watch the beauty of the castle in the broad daylight.

It was beautiful with very large gardens with all the flowers blooming, the birds chirping as I saw multiple gardeners nourishing the greenery all around.

"Here we are. I hope you will behave yourself this time and not make me lose face like you did the last night?" Daddy showed me his monstrous eyes, and I was immediately more than obliged to not give him any chance to complain.

"Yes Daddy."

He then got off the car and opened my side of the gate to offer me his hand as we walked together like a father daughter duo towards the lawn where everyone was seated

"That little annoying girl from last night? No, thanks, Theo and I will leave first." I heard Zephyr talking from a little distance grabbing onto Theo's hand. The two of them were wearing same green blazers over their green checked shirt and green pants and had a piece of cardboard hanging down from their necks. Oh, wait. All the three of us are wearing same coloured clothes.

"Or we could wait, like uncle Martinez just said." Theo said interrupting before uncle Martinez would scold Zephyr because by looking at his face, I could see how angry he was at Zephyr's behavior just now.

"Theo??? What are you DOING?"

"I kinda like her though." Theo said, and I saw him immediately shifting in his place as me and daddy were finally present at the conversation circle and Theo saw me.

Theo shifted his gaze somewhere else and then hesitantly looked up at me. I gave him a smile, and he immediately smiled back to me his brightest one. He then looked at my daddy and got scared and started looking into his shoes. I looked up at daddy and I could see him glaring at Theo.

I don't know why daddy looked so pissed at him.

I then looked at Zephyr Martinez. There was something inside my chest that was exploding when I saw him look back at me.

But then, he immediately rolled his eyes away from looking at my face which made me a little sad.

"Martinez? Say hello to Iris now?" Uncle Martinez told Zephyr.

"He-Hello Iris?" But instead Theo greeted me, Zephyr just stared at both of us in anger.

"If it's okay, I know the route to school. I can go by myself as well. Theo can bring her along. Ir- whatever her name is." Zephyr said displeased.

"Why do you not like me?" I asked, getting a little emotional on the way he was acting with me.

"What's there to like?" He askedbagain rolling his eyes at me, breaking my heart little after little.

"|-"

I was about to cry when daddy gripped onto my hand tightly and squeezed it. It was my signal to behave and not let daddy lose his face here. So, I decided to suck up on my tears.

"Zephyr William Martinez! What kind of attitude is that? Apologize to her this instance!" Uncle Martinez shouted at Zephyr and I could literally see him shiver in fear just like how I would, when daddy would scream at me.

"I'm sorry. I will wait for you two to finish and join me in the car." Zephyr said without looking at me and picking up his backpack he left from there.

After Zephyr left I could sense daddy getting uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable too, but then Theo came near to me and tried to be enthusiastic.

"Iris, come. Let me take you to our car. We're supposed to go to school together." I looked up at daddy for his permission and he signalled me to go with him. Therefore, I was about to leave with Theo when I heard Zephyr's big brother call out to me.

"Iris? Hey!"

"Em- hi." I kind of did not remember his name, so I didn't say anything just smiled.

"Mr. Rodriguez. Pleasure to meet you."

He bowed to daddy and daddy gave him his brightest smile in response. Something I've never had the fate to get from him in my entire life. It made me a little jealous of Zephyr's brother though.

"They're going to school together. Rodriguez wanted Iris to be in the same classroom as Zephyr, so she could be taken care of, but you are aware of Zephyr's attitude towards her." Uncle Martinez said to Zephyr's big brother.

"Don't worry uncle Martinez I will take care of this and make sure Iris isn't troubled. But father, Iris has never gone to a school or even preschool before. Don't you think we should put her in the lowest class, so she learns everything gradually?"

Wait! Does that mean I won't be going with Zephyr? No! I don't want that.

"I want to go with Zephyr." I said immediately panicking and felt an intense glare from daddy's eyes on me.

"Umm Iris, you don't understand. You have to learn the alphabets before you start making sentences. You have to learn the numbers before you start adding and subtracting."

I didn't know any of the stuff Zephyr's brother just told me about, but I was adamant about going to the same classroom as Zephyr.

''Zee, don't worry. I'll teach her everything. Just please let her come with us? Please??"

Theo said, and then I got to know that his name was 'Zee'?

"Please Zee?"

I gave him the puppy eyes, and he stopped to stare at my face for a moment before sighing out and nodding a 'yes'

"Although I'm afraid Zeph wouldn't be too happy about it." He then said under his breath, but nobody paid a heed to his words.

"Come, let's go Iris. We're getting late, okay?" Theo said offering me his hand which I grabbed onto the next instance and walked out happily with him.

I was going to see Zephyr everyday starting today. Knowing this gave me intense happiness, I couldn't even explain in words

Little Theo

(I get to see Iris everyday starting today. Knowing this gives me intense happiness, I couldn't even explain in words)

Little Zeph

(Great! I have to see Iris everyday starting today? This is the worst way dad could've ever punished me!)